Rash, Zitz, and Pimple are in your face once again. The Battletoads are back to fight for truth, justice, and the amphibian way in Battletoads in Battlemaniacs for the SNES. Tradewest's NES and Game Boy Battletoads games were okay, but this is really the game that you members of the Lily Pad Dojo have been waiting for.

The Toads T.R.I.P. Out

Our heroes, Zitz, Rash, and Pimple, join Professor T-Bird and their friend, Michiko, at a demonstration of the ultimate electronic games machine, the T.R.I.P.S. 21 (for Total Reality Integrated Player System). The machine opens a computer generated portal to a video game dimension called The Gamescape.

During the demo, Psyko Pigs on horseback -- the dreaded Pigs of the Apocalypse -- charge out of the portal and bag Zitz and Michiko. The Dark Queen, sworn enemy of the Battletoads, and her mad, malevolent partner, Silas Volk- mire, are behind the slimy deed. They plan to convert our universe into their very own Camescape Kingdom. It's up to Rash and Pimple (coached by the Professor) to save their pals and put a sock on the Queen's plans.

Froggies Go Assaultin'

Battlemaniacs is a swinging side-view action/adventure game. This superior SNES froggy free-for-all is tough but doesn't take a lot of brains to play.

Battlemaniacs' list of options is sparse. You can fight solo or recruit a pal for team 'Toading. Single players can play Rash or Pimple. Doubles partners can up their challenge with an option to hurt each other with errant blows.

You get seven multi-scrolling levels and extra bonus stages. You begin on Khaos Mountain and fight above ground and below to reach Volkmire's Dark Tower. Along the way you encounter wild rides on the Tracktor and the dreaded Battletoads Speeder Bikes.

Hip Hop Style

Battlemaniacs' graphics immediately hit your eye. This is the best-looking Battletoads game yet, and it perpetuates the cartoony, bizarre, radical style that made the original Battletoads NES game a standout. The gorgeous character sprites endow the Toads and their foes with personality and attitude. For example, Silas Volk- mire is a creepy, scary, skeletal nightmare, and the Dark Queen definitely has more hex appeal than ever.

Some of the bonus stages are beautiful, especially the slick 'n' sliding side-view bowling bonus. The backgrounds are a cut above with great depth and lush colors.

ProTip: It takes at least 200 points to score an extra life during the bowling pin bonus stage. Go for the blue pins.

Of course, the comical but great-looking Battletoads Smash Hits put the finishing touches on the bad guys. Pimple sprouts huge horns for his Battletoad Butt, Rash's hand balloons to major size for his Sidearm Slice, and you get 14 other outrageous creep busters.

Battlemaniacs' sounds croak with the best of them. The rock soundtrack gets most of the credit, although the punch and blast effects are solid.

A quick way to bump off some foes is to knock them over edges. It's a good technique when you're surrounded.

The Hover Disc doubles as a weapon. Press Up and hit B to blast it downward. Press either Left or Right and hit B to fire the Disc to the side.

The 'Toads' Load

The game play is a snap -- almost too simple. The controls follow standard Battletoads design, so you only press two buttons to Jump or Attack. The computer and your proximity to an opponent determines whether you kick, punch, or pull a Smash Hit. Beginners and intermediate players will find the game play painless. Hardened SNES fighters may desire a little more control, but at least you can use objects as weapons. Moreover, black and blue fighting-game vets will find the Toads' reaction time a tad pole...err, slow.

When the flaming Rockfire starts falling on Khaos Mountain, watch the shadows to make your moves.

Bad guys K.O. each other if you can just get out of the way.

Rack up points when you encounter the Wasplings on the Tree. After you knock one out, keep punching it against the tree trunk.

No matter what your skill level, there's a high probability you'll end up a toasted Toad. Queenie's formidable forces come at you with a vengeance, the obstacles are maddening, and the driving stages will drive you nuts. Your vital signs are weak: an eight-point life meter, three lives, three continues, and no power-up flies to snack on this time around. However, bonus rounds offer the opportunity to snag an extra life.

The Queen's gang will look familiar to veteran Toads tamers, but there are plenty of new villains and vermin, too. You'll get a kick (and more) out of lowlifes like Skellington Bone, Porka Pig, and the Great Ratso (a circus reject who booms out of cannons).

To beat Rocky at the end of the first stage in a one-player game, watch for his shadow when he jumps, and get out of the way! You can rock him as long as he's on his pork butt, but once he stands, dodge him.

When you face Rocky during a two-player game, Rash can hurt him when he stands by punching his stomach.

Toadally Awesome

Battletoads in Battlemaniacs is dynamite! The game's so tough and such an eye-pop- per, that you won't mind the simple, two-button game play. If you're looking for an adventure that's lean, mean, and green, jump on this game.

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Battletoads in Battlemaniacs Downloads

Back at the January CES, Tradewest gave EGM a look at the first level of the new S-NES Super Battletoads (Issue 32, March 1992). Now, with a few more levels finished, EGM gets yet another exclusive look at some of the details which Tradewest is building into this super cart.

While Super Battletoads plays similar to the first game, the new moves and faster action will blow you away. Your special moves have been powered-up, as well. When you do a special move, your arms and legs grow to tremendous sizes and change shape to form hammers, ram horns, mallets or spiked shoes.

The levels are intense in both action and graphic presentation. One of the levels has the Toads walking on a tile floor with a perfect mirror image shown in the reflective tile below their feet!

Don't forget, Super Battletoads is a two player simultaneous game with no slowdown!

Although this game is still in the works, you can count on EGM to show you more and more great aspects of the game as it becomes available to us!

reggie posted a review

Theme: Action

The Battletoads go portable on the Game Gear! Embark against the Dark Queen with Zits, Pimple and Rash. Use a variety of spectacular moves to deal with the many foes. Ride the hover cars and the twisting snakes. If you've ever wanted to be a toad....this is for you.

reggie posted a review

Does this game seem to get very difficult as you advance through the levels? Fear no more, because this code will let you jam through this game with extra lives and continues. When you turn on the game and the Tradewest logo appears, or the title screen comes up press and hold DOWN and the A and B buttons. While still holding these, press START. When the next screen appears, the Battletoads' flag should blink red once, indicating that the code has worked for you. Choose a one- or two-player game, and you will be ready for action with plenty of Toads to spare! Be careful.

reggie posted a review

Difficulty: Moderate

Available: 1993

Theme: Action

As promised, EGM is staying on top of the development of the new S-NES toads game. EGM gets another exclusive preview of the newest levels in-this Tradewest super soft, and they look hot! All your favorite amphibious characters are present and accounted for, only this time Zitz has been kidnapped by the Evil Dark Queen. She will stop at nothing to get rid of the toad twosome, Pimple and Rash! It is up to these two powerhouses to wade through the Dark Queen's dominions (those dirty fat pigs!) and rescue poor, innocent Zitz.

The guys at Tradewest have given you a variety of special power moves including the hammer hit, ram slam, super jump, big chop and the big boot! Just because you have the greatest fighting techniques known to frog, do not think that this will be a cakewalk - it is darn tough!

Battle Toads is and always will be a classic. As new levels are finished by the programmers at Rare you can bet that you'll see theme here first!

reggie posted a review

Manufacturer: Tradewest

Machine: Super NES

Theme: Action

No. of Levels: 8

Tradewest makes you move to the mean green three: Rash, Zitz, and Pimple, or as they are rightfully called, the Battletoads! This time Zitz has been nabbed by the Dark Queen! Get mad, bad, and crazy as the Toads have some great new moves to show you - like the Flying Battleaxe and Anvil Swipe! However, the Dark Queen has some new tricks to show the 'Toads, and they ain't nice ones! Everybody move!

People say:

9

Absolutely killer! These guys know how to rock - what other game can you name where your characters look like they are having a blast bashing enemies? This game has been long in coming, but it has been well worth the wait! The only gripe: the control configuration needs some work, otherwise this may have been a 10!

8

I can't believe it took this long but it was worth the wait! Battletoads is everything it was hyped to be with great music, vibrant graphics, and tons of enemies. The button set-up was a bit awkward to get used to, but didn't make it unplayable. This game rocks with two players. I love the cooperative attacking of the enemies!

8

Without a doubt this is the best looking BT cart to date. The graphics are truly amazing and the backgrounds and characters are extremely detailed. All of the best elements of the 8-Bit toads are here plus more. The game play is a little annoying because of the button set up, but a minor flaw for a great cart.

8

The top-notch NES game has finally made it to the Super NES. Your favorite guys in green are here with all the cool moves and action we've been anticipating. The graphics are superbly done and animated. Control takes a bit to get used when your characters slide after they strike, but it's action-packed 'til the end.

reggie posted a review

Difficulty: Moderate

Available: June

Levels: 12

Theme: Action

Battle to This!

Zitz, Pimple and the beautiful Princess Angelica were out cruisin' in the toadster one afternoon when they were swallowed up by the evil Dark Queen in her starship, the Gargantua! Luckily, Zitz managed to get out a distress signal telling Professor T. Bird what happened! They were taken to Ragnarok's World, where they are being held captive. Now it is up to the cool Battletoad Rash to venture down to the hostile planet and save them!

Armed only with his brawlin' skills and other various abilities, you must help Rash thwart the evil forces to bring his kidnapped pals home! Rash can run, jump, punch, kick, headbutt, drive and handle a variety of weapons in this translation of the mega-popular NES game! Battle through twelve intense levels of rough-and-tumble action. Beware, though, some of the levels require fast reflexes and skills other than punching! It is up to you to help Rash rescue his friends - or he will become a pair of frog legs on the Dark Queen's platter!

reggie posted a review

Some creatures never learn, and the Dark Queen (toadom's arch-enemy) seems to be one of them. Her Majesty's latest wicked plot involves the Psicone Corporation's latest invention -- the Total Reality Integrated Player System. This handy unit enables players to integrate themselves into a unique computer-generated portal via quantum-mechanical osmosis. Unfortunately, during a test run of the unit, an unforeseen event occurs.

Professor T.Bird, the Battletoads, the President of the Psicone Corporation and her daughter were observing the T.R.I.P.S. 21, when suddenly three mysterious shapes appeared on the horizon of the computer portal. Was it a bird? Was it a plane? No way, toad-face, it was three Psyko Pigs on horseback! In fact, it was the Pigs of the Apocalypse. In a flash, these porcine raiders had snatched the President's daughter and Zitz!

Toads for Two

Professor T-Bird suspects that the Dark Queen is behind the kidnapping, as well as the mysterious leakage of the Gamescape into the real world..er..the real Battletoads world. All this is, of course, bad news for the Battletoads, but great news for SNES gamers. It's up to that toadally terrific duo of Pimple and Rash to rescue the hostages and stop the Dark Queen before she creates a Gamescape Kingdom that encompasses the world -- to be ruled by her, of course!

So, in typical toad-acious style, you begin yet another Battletoads saga. The SNES version features eight levels of vertically- and horizontally-scrolling, two- player, arcade-style Battletoads action.

The awesome amphibians have to fight their way across mountaintops, through forests, inside Karnath's giant snake lairs, across an old roller coaster, through a gigantic game room, and finally, down to the Tower of Shadow's lowest level, where they'll confront the Dark Queen and her heinous sidekick, Silas Volkmire.

The webbed-footed wonders have the usual repertoire of moves at their disposal, plus some radical punching and kicking that'll impress even Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle fan club members.

As they leapfrog their way through the various levels, the bug-eyed heroes also like to hop on board a variety of vehicles, including Speed Bikes.

Get On the Web Foot

When we took our sneak peek at an early version of Battletoads in Battlemaniacs, we found toadally cool graphics and game play that was just as hip-hop as the ever-popular NES game. So, get rarin' to rumble. Battlemaniacs is of the best games for the SNES.

reggie posted a review

Battletoads in Battlemaniacs is a side-scrolling beat 'em up released by Tradewest in 1993 for the Super NES. It is a sequel to Battletoads.
In this game you control Pimple or Rash. Both Battletoads have combos and moves to help them defeat their enemies. The artistic style is decidedly cartoony, with exaggerated weapons protruding from the 'Toads' limbs to deliver the coup de grace.